3 6 | L E H I G H B U L L E T I N Getzler noted that while fewer women pitched student venture projects, the ones who did pitch excelled—50% of the Baker Institute’s EUREKA! Joan F. and JohnM.Thalheimer ’55 Grand Prize winners in the last 10 years have been women. The grand prize competition is a culminating event that recognizes the three top performing student ventures, awarding $5,000 to the winner. These numbers mean that while only 1.5 in 10 pitches are given by women, 50% of those who make the most progress are women. As is the case in many business settings, Getzler also finds that Lehigh women entrepreneurs often hesitate to put themselves forward until they feel they have all the assets and knowledge they need to succeed. “That could be partly because of role modeling, not seeing themselves in a world of entrepreneurial founders at as great a rate as those who identify as male,” Getzler said. “We recognize that in the U.S. and around the globe, women participate in entrepreneurial endeavors at a lower rate than men.” The tendency of women to dedicate more time to research and preparation could explain why they do so well when pitching student venture projects during EUREKA! competitions, she said. A report on gender stereotypes in entrepreneurship from the EwingMarionKauffman Foundation notes that women experience a unique set of barriers to entrepreneurship. Not only are they often hindered when they seek financial and social support for their entrepreneurial ventures, but they also may be discouraged from seeking out entrepreneurship as a viable career path. These findings align with and support patterns in gender imbalance that the Institute sees across campus as well. “How do we try to level the playing field for Lehigh women?” Getzler asked. NOT JUST A GENDER DISPARITY Getzler is a member of the Diana International Research Institute, which is part of Babson College’s Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership inWellesley, Massachusetts, an organization that focuses on closing the gender gap in entrepreneurial business development. “I have always been aware of gender disparity around entrepreneurial activities at Lehigh,” Getzler said. “About four years ago we began to dive into the numbers.” These efforts began with an emphasis on deepening the participation of students who identify as female. The Institute’s application-based programs, such as its flagship LehighSiliconValley program, which immerses students in Bay Area startups, often include 45% to 50%women because program leaders can design the cohorts with diversity in mind. Still, differences in participation exist in ways beyond what the numbers may suggest. Even in these programs with an intentional gender balance, Getzler noted that women more often hesitated to position themselves in leadership roles compared to their male counterparts, despite being equally or more qualified. “At Lehigh we are empowering students to be entrepreneurial thinkers and doers, and that means that sometimes they start a company, sometimes they join a startup that’s already been launched, or sometimes they step up as an entrepreneurial leader at a large company or organization,” Getzler said. As part of the process to improve women’s participation in those efforts, the Institute convened a group of women alumni and students to discuss launching a set of programs to address issues they identified, but the pandemic in March 2020 put a halt to their progress. This pause offered Getzler an opportunity to take a step back and further explore the identities of those students participating in Baker’s programs. It became clear that disparities in participation rates existed across additional underrepresented groups on campus beyond the gender gap, she said. “Gender is still the largest gap in parity in entrepreneurial opportunities at Lehigh, but not to be ignored are the other areas where our diverse population is not mirrored in the diversity that makes up our entrepreneurship students,” Getzler said. LIFTING UP NEW VOICES After expanding its efforts in diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging to all underrepresented groups on campus, the Baker Institute formally announced the creation of R.I.S.E. It hired graduate student Princess Scott ’21 ’22G to lead primary research and conduct stakeholder interviews with stu- “I have always been aware of gender disparity around entrepreneurial activities at Lehigh.” —LISA GETZLER PRINCESS SCOTT ’21 ’22G
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